Being a DJ just got even easier. A pivotal moment just took place in the digital music space with the evolution of how open-format DJs and producers access music and perform their sets. Using Beatsource’s wide variety of playlists across hip-hop, dance, Latin, pop, R&B, and reggae & dancehall, a DJ of any skill level—whether you’re a beginner, hobbyist, or a seasoned club veteran, will be able to cue up the music they want to play via the LINK technology and immediately start mixing in Serato, with the simple push of a button.
[Beatsource](https://www.beatsource.com/), the music streaming service for open-format DJs created by [Beatport](https://www.beatport.com/) and the world’s largest promotional record pool, DJcity, recently released their [Beatsource LINK](https://link.beatsource.com/) technology. Serato users can now access Beatsource LINK’s revolutionary streaming service for DJs directly via the latest version of Serato DJ Pro, available for download now from Serato’s website or by updating the software. DJs can now play any track from the entire Beatsource library directly through Serato, including an inventory of expertly curated playlists, exclusive “club” edits and DJ tools for the latest new releases and catalog classics. Anyone will also be able to seamlessly mix existing tracks that they own, giving experienced Serato users the freedom to mix newly streamed music with stored downloads.
Over the years, DJ's have come a long way— from showing up with a crate of vinyl to play their sets, to playing CDs on CDJs, MP3s via USBs, and computer software on laptops. Now, they no longer need any of these because it is possible to instantly access a whole pre-made musical library, with the simple push of a button. This is a huge moment to reflect on the journey of open-format DJs and producers. When DJ music software company Serato first launched, many DJs remember being terrified to leave their vinyl at home in case of any tech malfunctions during their live sets. It was a scary transition— and it was an even bigger struggle for companies within the music industry, with many companies from the vinyl era no longer around.
Today, artists and producers have the opportunity to reinvent themselves. Working DJs are used to owning their music, but as the technology improves, they can pay to access a huge library of curated content. This takes away many of the pain points of music management and set preparation. Like consumers, owning your music will become less relevant and the ability to build and access custom crates and playlists from anywhere will be “the standard”.
“It’s inevitable that DJs will need access to the massive streaming libraries of songs for their DJ sets," said renowned DJ, producer, and label executive A-Trak. "The important thing is to not force DJs to change the equipment or software that they use. That’s why Beatsource’s integration into Serato is so important. Also, what impressed me the most was the ability to create playlists on the Beatsource site as you’re searching for music and having them sync up to your Serato.”
Brian “DJ Quickie” Wong, President of Beatsource, elaborated, “Serato led the transition from vinyl to digital in the early 2000's, changing DJing forever. Trailblazers like A-Trak, DJ AM, and Jazzy Jeff opened our minds to what Serato's technology could allow us to do. Over 15 years later, we’re still innovating and finding different ways to remove barriers so DJs can really hone in on their craft without distractions. This opens up a world of imagination for the next generation of DJs. I can't wait to see what they do with our technology.”
With streaming being so integral to modern music, Beatsource and Beatport collaborating to release their comprehensive catalogs gives DJs the ability to instantly access large collections of open-format and electronic music, giving them even more freedom, creativity, and, most importantly, choice.
Releasing alongside the Beatsource LINK integration with Serato will be Beatport LINK, which provides subscribers with the world’s greatest collection of electronic music, as well as Beatport’s legendary Top Charts, Genre Charts, Artist Charts, and their own custom LINK Playlists.
.jpeg)
